They named our valley after the Roman Goddess of Fertility, Ceres. We are one of the Western Cape’s most important fruit growing areas and our company, Ceres Fruit Growers (Proprietary) Limited sprouted from the growers’ co-operative begun in January 1923.

Following deregulation of the industry in the late nineties, which meant that growers could market and export directly, Ceres Fruit Growers teamed with another fruit packer Two-a-Day from the Elgin Valley to form Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing, a grower-owned business tasked to market our fruit in South Africa and around the world.

Ceres is considered an important apple and pear region in Africa for the unique climate between the Skurweberg mountains on the north side and Hex River mountain range on the south: it is ideal for fruit growing. There are an average of 300 days of sunshine a year which produces particularly juicy, crisp and aromatic fruit. Warm days and cool nights, as well as the interplay between the cool currents of air give these apples and pears their incomparable juicy nature, fresh aroma, firm, crisp flesh as well as their healthy distinctive colour. The considerable temperature differences between day and night boost the natural sugar content of the apples and pears, making the flesh firm and juicy with an aromatic taste.

More than 10, 000 people are employed by our growers on the farms on a full-time basis and about 4,800 people are seasonal  employees. 270 people work full-time at Ceres Fruit Growers and an additional 1,600 people seasonally, for up to nine months of the year.